Event Wrapups

The year began with a large ice storm. Bill Strachan worked with 5 climber volunteers and three US Forrest Service personnel. On February 21, 2009 they cleared storm damage in Martin’s Fork area, which includes the approaches to Military and Left Flank.

Todd McCormick and the University of Pittsburgh hosted a climbing competition to raise funds for the RRGCC. Their event raised $1,125! (more…)

A big thank you to Red River Outdoors and all who participated in 2009’s Climbers that Care event this past Saturday. During the day, much trail work was completed at Torrent Falls, where (thanks to Dr. Bob), we all had a place to gather around a fire in the evening.

Celebrating one of the largest Adopt-A-Crags this year. Photo by Elodie Saracco

Last Saturday the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition hosted their most successful trail day event in their 13 year history. Over 90 people came together to lend their skills and talent to developing new trails, and rehabbing existing pathways on the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve. Additionaly, last Saturday’s trail day most certainly ranks as one of the largest Access Fund sponsored Adopt-A-Crag events in 2009!

Here is a synopsis of what was accomplished:

At Sore Heel:

New steps built going to Curbside

New trails installed on the left side of Curbside

Completed the exit trail going towards curbside

New steps built going to Optical Rectitus

Bike trail maintenance and small addition added

Foot bridge on the far right of the Gallery

Gallery side and base maintenance

Rerouting of trail and steps added in the large drainage ditch

Trail maintenance in a variety of other locations at Sore Heel

At Crossroads:

Sign installed

Wooden steps installed on the side-trail at the Crossroads

Crossroads side-trail improved

At Darkside:

Fallen trees were removed

Steps cut into the trail

At Drive-By/Bob Marley:

Steps installed at the start of the Bob Marley trail

New trail completed between Drive By and Bob Marley Crags

Gather supplies in Coal Bank Hollow. Photo by Elodie Saracco

In other exciting news, for the first time ever the Johnny and Alex Trail Day raised money for the coalition, both in private donations and sales at the event. These funds and donations of goods and services from our generous sponsors financed that great party.

To those that volunteered Saturday and those that give in so many other ways, thank you!

We had a great turnout for this year’s Johnny and Alex Trail Day. No official head count, but we are guesstimating there were about 65 people out doing hard labor this year. The amount of work and the quality of that work is truly remarkable!

More than 65 people joined the RRGCC to celebrate and work on the fifth annual JATD. Photo: Wes Allen

Major work was accomplished at the popular crag known as The Shire where two existing trails were closed and replaced with a new trail that also reroutes access to the popular 5.11 “Amarillo Sunset”. The base of this crag was also shored up with landscaping timbers and logs. A new trail was built to the North 40 crag. Climbers wanting to go from The Shire to North 40 are asked to go back down to the main trail instead of shortcutting across the drainage. A new trail was also built at Drive-by crag that replaces the old steep stairs from the road. Finally, a mountain biking loop was completed from the Sore Heel Parking lot that provides another form of human powered recreation on the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve.
We want to thank everyone who came out and made this happen, as well as our generous sponsors!

By joining forces with Petzl (http://en.petzl.com/petzl/Accueil), the RRGCC’s Rocktoberfest fundraiser and climber’s festival, raised over $32,000 towards the purchase of the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve (PMRP). The event’s fundraising power was bolstered by a $10,000 matching grant from the Petzl Foundation, providing an added incentive for the nearly 1,000 climbers who attended the event to pitch in for climbing and recreation access in the Red River Gorge area. In the end this level of fundraising not only secured the Coalition’s 2008 PMRP mortgage payment of $29,400, but also gave a head start on the 2009 payment. Mortgage payments for the PMRP property must be made every July through 2013 before the RRGCC will own the land outright.

This unprecedented event and level of fundraising by climbers to preserve access made national headlines. This year’s Rocktoberfest’s philanthropy efforts piqued the interest of NPR’s “It’s Only A Game” radio program and a segment covering the event was featured on the nationally broadcast radio program on October 27th (http://www.onlyagame.org/shows/2007/10/20071027.asp). Globally, the event generated buzz on 8a (http://www.8a.nu,) a widely trafficked sport-climbing website that spotlights the Red River Gorge as one of the top ten climbing destinations in the world.

The Petzl RocTrip, now in its sixth year, has proven successful in bringing the international climbing community together in celebration of the sport, from New York’s Shawangunks, Squamish, British Columbia, Kalymnos, Greece, and Millau in the south of France. Over 35 high profile sponsored climbing athletes including Chris Sharma, Emily Harrington, Tony Lamiche and local prodigy Katie Brown attended this year’s RocTrip. Open to climbers of all ability levels, the 2007 Petzl RocTrip / Rocktoberfest engaged climbers in a festival of competitions, clinics, and celebration while raising funds and awareness for access issues locally and nationally. “We owe the success of this event to the local community – the volunteers, the RRGCC Board, area businesses, and the one thousand plus people who came out and put dollars down in support of the Pendergrass-Murray Preserve,” said John Evans, Marketing Director for Petzl North America. “I highly recommend other outdoor companies include this outstanding grass-roots event in their outreach programs for 2008. I guarantee Petzl will be back to support this great cause.”